On Saturday, momma Deb and I attended a demo workshop at Opus called Basic Hand Lettering and Modern Calligraphy. I have had a growing interest in learning and exploring hand-drawn letters for a while now, and I have been searching for a class or workshop to learn some of the basics. Much to my dismay, most of the classes I find have already happened or have a long waiting list, therefore, when I came across a free demo workshop at Opus, I was more than ecstatic! Being a demo workshop, there was not hands on elements, but there was many opportunities to ask questions and gain a better understanding of the art of hand drawn letters.

The instructor for the demo workshop, Corrina Keeling, describes herself as a "sidewalk chalk revolutionary, graphic recorder extraordinaire, lover of hand-lettering, and maker of music to move you" (see instagram @lovelettersforeverybody). Throughout the two hour demo workshop, Corrina's passion for letters, creating, and collaborating was very evident.

Although it was her first classroom style experience, Corrina's personable and charismatic personality captivated our attention and took us along with her on her creative journey. I never thought watching someone drawing letters could be so calming and almost meditative.

I learned a lot in the demo workshop, and most importantly, I was super excited to get started on my own hand lettering journey. It is clearer to me now that lettering is essentially drawing. It is apparent that the beauty of hand lettering is its flexibility and adaptability. It is not so focused on traditional rules and it really celebrates personality and style. I found that part of the charm of hand lettering is that it's not perfect.

At one point, Corrina asked the audience for a quote, I offered the words "embrace imperfection". It seemed like a fitting quote for the vibe of the day. To write the quote, she used an ordinary paint brush and masking fluid or frisket. Masking fluid is used to preserve white space on paper when watercolouring. It goes on wet and when dry is peeled off to reveal a clean white surface. I was fascinated by this new tool/technique and purchased a bottle of it. Stay tuned for my experiences using it...

It is safe to say that you can pretty much use any materials you have for hand-lettering. Pens, pencils, markers, chalk, sand, you name it.

Now, the only thing left to do is practice. Practice makes better,and practice takes time. In time, my hand lettering will get better. Stay tuned! I am looking forward to combining hand drawn lettering and tangling. The possibilities are endless! Happy Lettering!